Popular Culture can be powerful too

Was it the song or the statement that won it for Conchita?

If you live in Britain and like the Eurovision Song Contest you have to justify your taste as 'ironic'. Eurovision can only be classed as 'cool' because it so plainly 'ain't cool'. Basically there are too many sequins, too many naff, overly sexualised, 'quirky', intolerable, boring, OTT acts and the songs are pretty naff too. Countries vote for their friends, which is why the UK usually gets so few votes and the whole thing is a bit of a sham, unless you are new to the EU, like Azerbaijan, in which case  staring alongside the established nations of Europe is a big deal.

At least this year there was a bit of a challenge to the dominant ideology of the competition in the form of Conchita Wurst, the drag queen persona of Tom Neuwirth from Austria. Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine put their ideology on a petition: No perverts should be allowed on Eurovision but sometimes the booming voice of the hegemony is still a whisper when the ideas of the rulers are shown to be in such a minority. Conchita said she was overwhelmed by the number of requests for autographs from Eastern European fans who disagree with their leaders. 

This time the 'outsider' won. And it wasn't just any old win, this was a landslide! And what an impressive beard.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/eurovision-2014-austrias-conchita-wurst-crowned-winner-9350270.html

Polish butter making on stage

Russian unity?

Oh, those quirky French guys...